Where the Ends Don't Meet
by Spring Zephyr
Summary: "How do you guys put up with this?" Kazemaru asks, resisting the urge to bury his face in his hands and collapse. Sakuma shrugs. "It's a military academy. This is what our parents are paying for. The teachers just go easy on you because you were sent to reinforce the soccer team."


**Hero wanted a fic about how Kazemaru's time at Teikoku(specifically, his time working for Kageyama) might have affected him, with Endou, Kidou and Gouenji asking how he was at Teikoku and him avoiding the question because it's awkward... Based on how distant he was during Ares.**

**1\. Nomination**

"And for Teikoku..." Kidou pauses, and everyone thinks Kidou electing himself will be the obvious choice, similar to how Gouenji was sent back to Kidokawa Seishuu. "Kazemaru," he decides finally.

There are a couple of light gasps in the clubroom. After all, Kidou has friends in Teikoku, Sakuma and Genda and a few others, and surely he wouldn't mind catching up with them for a while? Kazemaru can hear Kurimatsu whispering that very question to Shourinji, but Kazemaru himself understands that Kidou isn't the type to put his feelings above what he thinks is best for the team. He does have another question, perhaps a similar question, however:

"Why me?"

Kidou turns to face him. With his goggles on, it's hard to tell if he's looking at Kazemaru or through him. Kazemaru is confident it's the former.

"Teikoku's soccer club is trying to change. They need someone with patience and understanding – _level-headedness_, to help them succeed."

"All of those things describe you as much as me," Kazemaru points out.

_Perhaps even better than me_, Kazemaru thinks.

"I don't want my prior history with Teikoku to get in the way of their team's development," Kidou admits, ducking his head. Before Kazemaru can finish musing whether that's unusual behavior for him or not, he continues, "Kageno will be reinforcing Occult. Zeus, despite the controversies surrounding them last year, is doing well on its own under Aphrodi's leadership. Instead of sending anyone to Zeus Jr. High, I've decided to place Shishido in Senbayama and Shourinji in Sengoku Igajima."

"Huh?" Shishido sounds genuinely confused. "Why am I going to Senbayama?"

There's still a question like that one on Kazemaru's mind as well.

**2\. Military School**

On the first day of school, Kazemaru watches a teacher pour a glass of water over Sakuma's head for hesitating too long while solving a math problem on the blackboard. In spite of how fancy the academy looks from the outside, on the inside they still take notes from blackboards and are expected to have a separate folder for every subject and the teachers are – well, like _this_. It should've been obvious that Sakuma needed help finishing that problem, and while public humiliation might be one way to ensure he never forgets again, it's deplorable and the shock causes Kazemaru to spring up from his seat. His hands find the surface of his desk with the subtlty of two rocks falling, and all eyes are on him from the noise it creates.

"Are you volunteering to show Mr. Sakuma where he went wrong, Mr. Kazemaru?" the teacher goads.

There's a glint in his eye. His mouth stretches wide to reveal a grin full of pointy, shark-like teeth, and Kazemaru grinds his own teeth on reflex. Kazemaru could solve this easily, but…

He catches a glimpse of the look on Sakuma's face as he walks past, hair dripping, and it's not at all what he expected. Fiery, determined. Just like that, Kazemaru isn't sure what he wants to do anymore.

By the end of the week, he's watched Genda be sentenced to doing pushups until he reached critical failure for underperforming during gym class. That's not fair, Kazemaru thinks, because they just had soccer practice under the team's temporary coach last night and the gym teacher is suddenly demanding more of Genda than she is any other student – clearly, he was being targeted.

Some other boy Kazemaru doesn't know by name is made to run ten laps around the schoolyard for barely failing a room inspection, and is then given an hour of handwashing floors for being late to class. During one of their practices, he hears a story about Kazumichi, another of Teikoku's starters, being forced to stay after class and write an entire semester's worth of kanji on the blackboard a hundred times each for "not paying attention". A girl named Takanashi Shinobu, who has light pink hair that she keeps tied in a ponytail across her face, almost threatens to stab him for stealing what she deems _her_ rightful spot on the team. And that's unfortunately not the only member of Teikoku's soccer club he's managed to catch the ire of.

"How do you guys put up with this?" Kazemaru asks, resisting the urge to bury his face in his hands and collapse.

Sakuma shrugs. "It's a military academy. This is what our parents are paying for. The teachers just go easy on you because you were sent to reinforce the soccer team."

He's grateful Sakuma is the new captain of Teikoku and not him.

"Do they ever let up?" he asks desperately. "Is there anything _good_ about going to school at Teikoku Academy?"

"Of course. There's a three day grace period before games for all of the athletic clubs, so we can rest up before playing."

Kazemaru stares at him blankly.

"And the food's pretty good," Sakuma adds a little belatedly, in response to the second part.

It's unclear whether or not he's joking.

**3\. Outer Code**

If there's one person who deserves to be jailed more than the teachers at this academy, it's Kageyama Reiji. But even as Kazemaru approaches his second week at the academy, even as he adopts more and more of the militaristic attitudes it takes to get the rest of Teikoku's soccer team to listen to him, he struggles over who to employ as Teikoku's new permanent coach. The board of directors have given him full control over the future of their soccer team, putting far too much faith in his position as a reenforcement commity member, and every night he attempts to balance a proper night's rest, homework, and pouring through coaching applications until, finally, he reaches the conclusion that his only choice is to give Kageyama Reiji his old job back or become the only member of Raimon to fail his task before the Football Frontier even starts.

_This_ coach has great credentials, but would definitely be treated like a pushover by Teikoku's students. _That_ one is hardworking and stubborn, but has only coached in elementary leagues before. Kageyama Reiji has been released from jail early, in exchange for his cooperation in the Ares Rebirth Program. As much as Kazemaru wants to avoid rehiring him, his name is always at the front of Kazemaru's mind, as someone who's already proven his worth. Someone who has the skills, and has probably already conducted the research necessary, to raise any team to the top.

Running out of time, Kazemaru seals the application in an envelope before turning it in, face down, to the principle's office.

"I've made my decision," Kazemaru announces, "but I have two conditions."

The first is obvious. Kageyama Reiji is not allowed to cheat while coaching Teikoku. Even the mere suspicion of cheating grants Kazemaru automatic permission to report him to the police, and potentially put him back in jail to rot. He has a second coach picked out in case this happens, although, to be honest, the second coach is just an application he picked randomly from that pile of papers. So Kazemaru really hopes it doesn't come to that.

On the day of the reveal, Kazemaru joins Kageyama atop his stage, walking stiffer than usual. As expected, Sakuma looks and acts betrayed.

Kazemaru thinks back to that day in the principle's office.

"The second condition… My second condition is that I will inform the team of who their new coach is myself."

**4\. Aftermath**

"Kazemaru, you've been quiet lately… How was your time in Teikoku?" Endou asks.

It's an innocent question. A hitch in the conversation as Endou suddenly stops chatting with Kidou and Gouenji after lunch to remember Kazemaru is there also. Kazemaru catches Kidou's eye from behind his goggles and acknowledges that, just like everyone else, Kidou Yuuto puts personal feelings over duty sometimes too.

_Awful_.

Kazemaru bites his lip because he doesn't want to say it, but every moment spent in Teikoku Academy was awful, from the teachers to the in-fighting to the fact that he could hear his dormmate's snoring from the hallway bathroom. Regardless of what Sakuma said, Kazemaru hadn't managed to enjoy the food either. He'd also managed to betray every friend he'd made by doing what he thought was best for the team, and then Kageyama's unorthodox strategies, including adding wind resistance to their shoes, had angered the team even further.

Gouenji joins the other two in staring, looking very much like he wants to know the answer and knows better than to ask.

"I missed wearing the Raimon uniform," Kazemaru replies noncommittally, hoping that will be enough. "O-oh, but I did make some good friends while I was there – Kidou was right to think I'd get along with Sakuma. And Doumen tells the funniest jokes."

He'd managed to leave the team on a good note, somehow, but he also knows that he will never lament being able to take off Teikoku's cleats.


End file.
